Launch of national housing priorities calls for national housing strategy

National Shelter media release — 30 October 2012

On the eve of the National Housing Conference, National Shelter calls on the federal government to develop a National Housing Strategy.

This is based on the release of National Shelter’s 2012 housing priorities publication, ‘Meeting housing challenges’, today at the National Shelter Council Meeting.

Chairperson of National Shelter, Adrian Pisarski, says the publication showcases just how overdue a housing strategy is.

‘More than one in 10 Australian households will experience housing stress this year, and yet the last national housing strategy was developed in 1991’, Mr Pisarski said.

‘In the last 21 years significant changes have occurred in the Australian housing market, including changes in government policy, structural changes in the economy and the introduction of the GST.’

Key recommendations from the 2012 National Shelter policy priorities include :

The Australian government increase the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) by 30%

The Australian government commit to an ongoing program of 50,000 NRAS incentives doubling to 100,000 after 2016

The Australian state and territory governments commit to the delivery of an extra 200,000 social and affordable rental dwellings by 2021.

The Australian, state and territory governments commit to the continuation of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness beyond 2013

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) embed the National Affordable Housing Agreement as a permanent part of its decision-making, and expand it to include all forms of housing assistance.

National Shelter encourages all sides of politics to agree to address Australia’s housing challenges through the continued investment in affordable housing programs such as the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) and a growth fund for social housing.